The golden streams of rain
by ShadowOfGrandeur
Summary: Inaiel is like an orphan in elves' eyes so Thranduil gives her a task in Lorien believing she will find consolation there. The she-elf is almost happy when falling in love but suddenly she gets in trouble.
1. Chapter 1

THE GOLDEN STREAMS OF RAIN

Summary: Inaiel is like an orphan in elves' eyes so Thranduil gives her a task in Lorien believing she will find consolation there. The she-elf is almost happy when falling in love but suddenly she gets in trouble.

Declaimer: I don't own any of the characters from LOTR and you know it.  
PS thoughts are in * *, words are in" "  
Chapter 1. The King's task.  
***

Inaiel bent quietly in front of the King in a low bow. His sea-blue and bottomless eyes were looking narrowly at the entered she-elf who was recommended by the Head of guardians. She seemed to be a bit shy and delicate but she also was a skilled warrior and fitted perfectly to his task.  
"Stand up, Inaiel. I have a very important task for you: you have to deliver this letter to Lady Galadriel, but be careful: scouts have reported about the danger hidden in the depths of this old forest. They believe it's because of the orcs, but I don't think so".  
"Yes, Milord. You know that I was working as a guard more than 800 years and I can fight against ugly and monstrous dark spawn. I was endangered multiple times and this won't be an exception, Your Majesty".  
"I'd like to hope that everything will be alright but it will be better if you are alerted: more than a half of my messengers vanished on their way to Lorien".  
Inaiel's eyes widened in astonishment and she uttered: "Sorry, Milord. I haven't known anything about this. I'll be alerted and won't allow the darkness to absorb me".  
The King shook his head: "This isn't your fault. I ordered to keep this in a secret to avoid useless panic. By the way, the Head of guardians said that you've never rested and...  
Thranduil's words were heard like through the wadding: *I have no close friends, nobody since my parents sailed to the West*.  
... so you may spend a few days in Lorien before you return".  
* Probably she'll find consolation there*. Thranduil glanced sympathetically at the she-elf, but she has already lowered her head so that nobody could see her eyes fulfilled with tears.  
"Thank you, Your Majesty".  
"Go", - said the King and gave the letter to Inaiel.  
"Yes, Milord". The she-elf turned and went out from the King's room with these words. She was going to her own room to pack some things.  
"Namarie", - she heard.  
Inaiel fell weakly on her bed. Tears were streaming from her golden eyes and her heart was hurting as if it was torn into small pieces. She didn't remember her parents well: they sailed to the West when she was only ten years old. Inaiel was grown up by the Head of guardians, who told the elfling about orcs' attack and wounded parents. They didn't find happiness anymore so they sailed. The ugly muzzles and foreign indifferent faces were flashing in front of Inaiel's dim gaze. Then everything stopped on her mother's face, her warm and caress glare dispersed all sorrow. Inaiel smiled diffidently, brushed away tears and began packing.


	2. Chapter 2

THE GOLDEN STREAMS OF RAIN

Summary: Inaiel is like an orphan in elves' eyes so Thranduil gives her a task in Lorien believing she will find consolation there. The she-elf is almost happy when falling in love but suddenly she gets in trouble.

Declaimer: I don't own any of the characters from LOTR and you know it.  
PS thoughts are in * *, words are in" "  
Chapter 2. Arrival to the Lorien.  
***

Inaiel ran out of the palace and mounted her doe Caelin which was walking in circles impatiently. A light whisper like rustling of trees - and Caelin was carrying rider away in the depths of forest from stony soulless walls of the palace and dungeons' mustiness. Inaiel loved the forest, trees, which seemed to be tall enough to reach the sky, rustling of leaves and a smell, the beautiful one which cannot be described with words if you haven't smelt it before. The doe was running along the path and hour after hour passed but Lorien still seemed to be too far. The she-elf cuddled Caelin and fell asleep. The evening came and the stars lit up one after another on the dark sky, Inaiel woke up when the tired doe stopped at once.

They rode again in the next morning and nearly in the afternoon they reached Lorien's border. Inaiel carefully took two daggers from their sheath, doe started walking instead of running and after some time she stopped. The she-elf listened cautiously sounds of the ancient forest but she heard nothing. There was too quiet, as if she plugged her ears. *Strange* Suddenly Inaiel heard a melodic voice above: "Where are you going?" "I need to meet Lady Galadriel to give her a letter from my King", - uttered the she-elf thoughtfully, trying to find a mysterious interlocutor with her gaze. "The messagers from the Mirkwood haven't been in Lorien for a long time. I heard that they had vanished on their way here", - said another voice and a dark-haired elf jumped from a tree landing with a feline grace. "My name is Wailin. I will guide you to Lady Galadriel", - he bowed slightly with these words and lent a hand to Inaiel helping her to get off the doe. "Thank you. My name is Inaiel", - the she-elf said. They were walking slowly along the path, talking about nothing and everything at the same time. Inaiel and Wailin reached the shining with gold river which was ringing as bells and splattering when everything was covered with the rays of the setting sun. The river recalled something in she-elf's mind but she couldn't remember what. "I will leave you here. Go along this path and you won't get lost", - Wailin turned and went away so fast that Inaiel didn't even manage to say 'goodbye' or 'thanks'. She was closer to her aim after an hour of walking. Foreign elves were passing by her paying no attention at all to the stranger. Suddenly Inaiel remembered that she should spend a few days here, in Lorien, before returning and almost burst into tears: *What will I do here? I don't know anyone, nobody needs me…*The she-elf painfully bit her lips. Thinking about this, Inaiel didn't notice that she reached Lady and Lord's palace.

The guardians let the she-elf come in after Inaiel showed them the letter with the King's stamp on it and left Caelin outside the palace. Lady Galadriel met her on the stairs, taking the message. Inaiel bowed and tried to go away but heard a soft voice of the Lady: "Don't be afraid. You'll find your happiness and it will drown the bitterness of losses". Inaiel turned again but saw a half-smile and a piercing glance which penetrated into the soul. "By the way, ask any guard to show you a place to stop". "Thank you, Lady Galadriel". Inaiel bowed and went away.


End file.
